Scholar Rock (The Mirage Garden)

2008

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

Zhang plays with transmuting a revered art form—Chinese scholars’ rocks—through the use of industrial materials to reflect upon China’s cultural identity in contemporary conditions. This piece recreates a garden rock in purple silicone, playfully demonstrating how Chinese traditions may evolve within a new global context. According to the artist, the work, as “a societal landscape specific to our time,” comments on the sometimes incongruous collision of cultures that is modern China.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

References

Title: Scholar Rock (The Mirage Garden)
Artist: Zhang Jianjun (Chinese, born 1955)
Date: 2008
Culture: China
Medium: Silicone rubber
Dimensions: H. 77 1/4 in. (196 cm); W. 53 1/8 in. (135 cm); D. 34 1/4 in. (87 cm)
Classification: Sculpture
Credit Line: Lent by the Sigg Collection
Curatorial Department: Asian Art